Tan Kim Her, a Malaysian doubles specialist, has rejoined with star duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty to begin his second spell in the Indian badminton arena. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has appointed the 53-year-old to a four-year term that will end with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. I’m extremely pleased to be back in Mumbai and get the chance to work with Satwik-Chirag along with the young and talented group of double players who all have the opportunity to follow on the path of Satwik-Chirag,” Tan told the press.
“I am looking towards creating a bigger group of match combinations who can win tournaments at the world stage.” Tan, who arrived in Hyderabad on Sunday, was India’s doubles coach from 2015 to 2019 and helped bring Satwik and Chirag together for the 2016 Olympics.
He will succeed Denmark’s Mathias Boe, who led Satwik and Chirag to numerous highs, including world number one status, Asian Games gold, and World Championship bronze. However, the pair suffered heartbreak at two Olympics: Tokyo and Paris.
In his second tenure, Tan, who accepted an offer from Japan’s badminton association in 2019, would “focus on developing strong doubles partnerships и bench strength ahead of both the 2026 Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.” “We have been looking for quality foreign coaches who could work for our current best athletes and also guide our next-generation players as we approach the 2028 Olympics,” stated Sanjay Mishra, secretary-general of the BA
“Finding the right coach took time, but we determined to bring in those who would continue the development of our big stars while simultaneously working with a bigger group of players and contributing to building a strong pipeline of talent for the future,” according to him.